Pneumatic tire.



W. I.' TWGMBLY. PNBUMATIG TIRE.

APPLIOATION HLBD JULY 22, 1910.

LUQQS@ Fatented Maf. 5,

W. I. TWOMBLY.

PNEUMATIG TIRE.

` APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1910. Lw. Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WlTNESSES! iNVENTORZ W. L TWOMBLY. PNEUMATIG TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED JULYZZ, 1910. L @3223,59 Patented Mai: 5, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WiTNESSES INVENTOR:

AT l ORNEY UmTED srATEs A PATENT. ormoni winnaar InvING TWOMBLY, oF NEW Yonx,.N

. Y., AssIGNon To 'rwoiuBLY morons COBQPAQIY, OF NEW YORK,l N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

. A PNEUMATIC TIRE.

ySpecification of Letters Patent..

" Application led July 22, 1910. Serial No. 573,180.

To all/whom it magi/concern# i Be it known that I, lVvILLAiu) IRvIN TWOMBLY, a citizen of the United States,

residing in the borough of Manhattan, in

the city, county, and State of New York,

have invented new and useful Improve-Y lments in 'Pneumatic Tires, of which the-followingis a specification.

This invention relates to pneumatlc tires for vehicle wheels, and itis the oliJect of the invention 'to provide-a simple, durable, and

` eicientdpneumatic tire, so constructedand arrange as to provide a. non-puncturable l. tire, 'in which all of the operative or work- 4gparts of 'the tire are inclose'd Vin a waterti ht housing creasing. 'u gWith this-ob'ec't in view, the invention l consists of 'a non-puncturable rim or casing of channel section fixed to a wheel felly and -able housin carrying a',l pneumatic tube extending zir-A cumferent-iallyaround the felly; a' iexible metallic band also being carried by said rim to have radial flexing movementin said rim';.the said rim andm'etallic band constituting. an entirely closed and non-puncturvfor the pneumatic tube. Circumferenti'a y disposed around and secured to said rim is-a cover or shoe of channel section anda series of members to have independent radialsliding movement into the rim and a rollin or rocking engagement with each otherfmuring such radial movement are. carried upon the rim-between said shoe and the metallic band. AThe shoe and rim constitutel an entirely closed water-tight housing c'ilsfilg for the working parts of the tire, and the metallic band and pneuvvmatic tube tending always to project the tion, receivingaand takin fr'adial thrust-of said mem ers.

radially movable members outward against the' shoe, but as the wheel revolves and said members come in contact with the ground, or when the wheel encounters an obstrucup the inward In thedrawings accoinpanyin and form-- ing 'a part of-thls specification, igure 1 is I g a sectional side elevation of a wheel with my "im rovedtire applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an en argedcross sectional view of the fell and tire.- Fig. 3 is a fragmentary` 'det-all enlarged fragmentary sectional etail viewl I of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, lof a wheel Patent-,eu Mal-.5, i912.

with'my improved tire applied thereto,

showing the action of the tire as the' wheel encounters and rides over an' obstacle. Fig. 6 isvan enlarged4 sectional, detail view illustrat-ing a modified- 4form of construction of the shoe. Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view of` the felly and tire showing the' action of the`-- radial members as they are -thrustinward against the air tube and metal band, and also illustratin the manner of pulling a protecting-shia d .between the air tube and" said metal band away from the sides of the rim durino' such movement of the radial members t:Figa 8 is a fragmentary' sectional side elevation-.of t-h'e felly and tire illustrating a mod itid form of thel radial movableq members. Fig. 9 is a sectional detail showing-the manner of'securing guides to the.

metal band to prevent sidewisemovement 'of-said band. .Fi 10 is a plan view-.fof the parts shownl inld'g. 9'. Flg. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional side elevation of -a felly a d tire illustrating a modified form of radial movable and rollingengaging ym'emherakthis figure also illustrating the action of the tire, when using this form of radial mo ing member, as thewhe'el encounters ant j rides over an obstacle; and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one of the radial'movable members shown in Fig. 11.

Similar characters of reference designate` like arts throughout the different views `of the rawings.

metrl band 4 extending around the Vperiph- 4` ery of the Vfellv. A pair of metallic annular outwardly-bulging plates 5, 6, are fixed In the form of my invention illustrated to either side of the fellyby bolts 7, to form a rim, or casin of substantially U-sh'ape or channel sectlon, each plate having am laterally and radially or outwardly projecting flange 8. Cariiedwithin said rim, and

extending around the felly,`is an infin-table air tube 9, rovided with a valveAlO extending throug 1 the felly to which maybe connected an air Within the'flanges 8-of thel rim is also. carried a flexibley metal band 11, intheiform of an armor for the air tube, to have radial -flexing movement iii -saidrim. This metal;-

.105 pump to inflate said tube;lv

band is ofless'widt-h than the width of theA channel sect-ion of t-lie rim, but of greater theends of which arey bent up andengage --leather, is interposed between the -widththanthe distance between the rim' .flanges 8 'and hassecured thereto inan suitable manner to extend transversely thereof a series of ribs or` .guide members 12,

between' the rim fianges 8 to maintain. the band in position-in the rim, A flexible proltecting band 13 of suitable vmaterial such as l band 1I and the air-"tube 9, said band. 13 being of such width as to partly laparound the air tube 'to protect the latter from rupture by the metal band `during its radial fiexing movement and -also to lprevent creeping thereof.

' A flexible coi'er or shoe 14 of channel section and of suitable material, such as rubber, or rubber 'reinforced' with fabric or the like as shown in Fig. G is secured at its edges or .base portions to the outer faces ofv the radi-- ally projecting portions 8 of the annular plates 5, (5 of the rim so that the base portions of the slice will rest or be seated uponI t-lie laterally projecting portionsof the'riin.

flanges 8, the-said edges being clamped .to` said flanges by a pair of annular plates or rings 15, .and stay bolts 16 .passing throughthe rings 1:3, the base portions of thea-shoe 14,and the radially projecting portions of theflanges 8, not only clampingand secur# ing the shoe to the rim, but also serving to prevent spreading of the rim plates 5, 6.

- Circuniferentially disposed between the cover or shoe 14 and the flexible metal band 11 are a series of separate and loose members 17 Ahaving independent radial sliding move- ,ment in to the rim between the flanges 8 thereof, and also having a rolling or rocking engagement with -each other during such radial movement, the relation of said lianges to the members 17 being such as to serving as guides ,for and prevent any sidewise tact therewith. The said radial members 17 other during such movementf In Figs. 1 to ,-7, inclusive, they are shown as consisting of 'and the shoe? llt'constitute the tread of the tire. i l 'A The intermediate memberp may be of any 'suitable 1 construction and conformation so lon radialslidingmovement into the rim and a rolling or rocking engagementl with' leach solid and rigid circular members or rolls of metal, wood," fiber orfthe like.

In Fig. 8

the c members a's theyhaveia vree'and independent rings, which may be of rigid 'metal or they may be of 'resilient or springy material, so that'asthey come in contact with the roadway, or the wheel encounters an obstruction,

-a portion of the shock to which the tire`may be' subjected willv be`takeii up by such resili ent rings; and in Figs. 11 and 12 they are shown 'of oblong or rectangular shape with the corners rounded and the ends an( side edges slightly curved. A

In Fig. 5; 'I have "illustrated, somewhat diagrammatically, .the action of the tire when the wheel encounters and rides over` an 'obstruction A. As the wheel' encounters the obstruction substantially"one-third of the -shock is imparted to or taken-up by the .vehicle wheel and body, raising said Wheel 'i practically one-third` of theV height of the obstruction, as illustrated' by dottedline 19, the greater portion ofthe shock, however, being taken up by the-tire. As the wheel rides upon rthe obstruction-the youtercover or shoe- 14L will substantially conform to the `said obstruction forcing the contiguous -inenibers 17v radially inward against the metal band 11 and theaction of the air in the tube 9, and having a4 rolling engagement with their contiguous or compa-nionmembers, the protecting shield, in' the present `instance inv the form of' a band`13 between the air tube 9 and the metal band 11, freely pulling away from the inner walls of the "rim, the parts of the tire substantially assuming the positions shown in cross section in Fi .7, which is due to the metal'band being o less yvidth than the shield 13.

The members 17 when made'solid are so proportioned relatively to the circumferential space between the shoe 14 and the band l11 as to leave a slight clearance space, the aggregate of'such space inthe whole circumference being approximately -one-quar ter of an nich or less, to permit of-'the passage of astay bolt 1G between a pair of membersl 'should theobstruction be encoun tered by such portion o f the tire in which the bolt is located, as clearly shown in Fig.

6. As soon as the wheel has ridden over the l obstruction the members 17 are forced outward against the inner circumference of the shoe by the action of the air in the tube 9, and the flexible band 11. It will be obvious that as the. wheel rotatesdand -the'radial, members come in contact with the ground'- 'there will be a slight inward radial thrust of said members against theA band 1 1 ar'id air tube- 'i i "c tl In case the members' are made' in theform of rings, either rigid orresilient'as illus tratedI in Fig. 8, the stay bolts 16 may extend .through said rings' andl'have' radial move-l mentthcreiii, as the rings move radially 1n' the rim', and in which case the rings are so i "proportioned relatively to the circiimferenare shown as consisting of tial space between the band 11 and shoe 14 as to substantially fill said space with no clearance whatever between the members.

In Fig. 1l, as already stated7 I have shown a modified form of the radial members 17, the saine .being of oblong shape with the cor'- iiers rounded and the ends and side edges slightly curved so that the saine will be capable of having a limited rocking or rolling engagement with each other as they move radially. However, the action of' the tire is substantially Similar as when radial ineinbers of circular conformation are used, the said members being thrust radially inward against the steel band and air tube. As the wheel encounters an obstruction t-lie meinbers adjacent to the one which comes in contact with the obstruction7 owing to the conformation that of the shoe and metal band will assume, and the curved faces at the side edges engaging with each other, will cause said members to draw away or spread at the top and roll toward each other at the bottom, all ot' which is clearly .shown in said Fig'. ll.

From the. foregoing description, and as illustrated in the drawings, it will be-obvious that I have produced a pneumatic tire that will readily respond to any-shock Without undue shock to the vehicle body, and will also substantially conform to any obstruct-ion encountered7 and which is in every way as efficient as a pneumatic tire having a shoe Ofi'ubber, or a combination ot' rubber with a fabric reinforcement. and an air tiflbe in said shoe, with the additional advantages, owing to the rim and steel band or armor 1l being constructed of metal or the like, of providing an entirely closed and non-puncturable casing for the air tube with a minimum liability to blow-outs; and also the providing of an entirely closed \\'atei-tiglit casing or housing for the working parts of the `tire by securing the shoe and rim together.

Having described my invention7 I claim:

l. In a vehicle wheel, the cmnbination oi' a rim of channel section fixed to the wheel telly, each wall of which has a laterally aud radially projecting flange; an air tube in said rim; a tlexibleband extending around the air tube; a resilient metal band outside of the llexible band; a shoe substantially U-shape in cross section tixed to said rim; and a series of circular members carried by the rim between the metal band and shoe, said members adapted to have independi'fnt radial movement into the rim and rolling engagement with each other during such radial movement; and said members being guided by the radially 'projectiimportion ot' the rim ilanges to prevent lateral movement thereof.

rim; a leather band extending around the' air tube of such width as to partly lap 'around the latter; a resilient metal band cari'ied by the rim and extending around the leather band; a series' of circuinfe ent-ially. disposed eircularmembers mounted upon the rim outside of the metal band, said members adapted to have independent radial movement into the rim and rolling engagement with each other during said radial move.- ment; and an annular shoe or cover substantially of U-shape in cross section secured to the rim to maintain the circular members in place and with the rim constituting an entirely closed housing tor the radial members, bands and air tube.

3. Iii/a vehicle wheel, the combination with the wheel felly, of' a pair of annular 'plates fixed to the sides oi' the felly t0 forni a rim of channel section, each plate having a. laterally and radially projecting flange; an inflatable air tube in said rim'; a iiexible band extending around the air tube of' such width as to partly lap around the air tube; a resilient metal band extending around the tlexible band within the laterally projecting portions ot the rim plates adapted to have radial flexing movement into therim; ribs fixed to and extending transversely of the metal band, the ends of said ribs bent up to form flanges to engage between the radially projecting portions of the rim flanges; a series ot' cireumferentially disposed ri gid ci rcular members carried by .the rim between the radially projecting portions of the rim flanges outside oi the metal band; and an annular shoe or cover substantially of U- shape in cross section toniaintain the circular members in place, said shoe secured t0 the radially projecting portions of the rim flanges so that the base portions of the shoe will be seated upon the laterally projecting portions of said rim plates; saidcircular members normally projected outwardly by the air in the tube and,the resilient band, but as they come in contact with the ground as the wheel revolves or encounters an obstruction are adapted to have radial movement into the rim and a rolling engagement with each other duringl such ra'dial movement; the inward thrust of said members being taken up by the resilient band and the air in the air tube.

W ILLARD IRVING TVOMBLY.

Witnesses JOHN 0. Siiiriri, Pintor A. SMITH. 

